AB651: Bill Text

AB651,40,4 49.22 (7g) The department shall provide all of the following:

AB651,40,7 (a) Training to hospital staff members concerning the form that is prescribed by the state registrar under s. 69.15 (3) (b) 3. and concerning the significance and benefits of, and alternatives to, establishing paternity.

AB651,40,9 (b) The written information that is required to be provided to parents under s. 69.14 (1) (cm).

AB651, s. 60 Section 60. 49.225 of the statutes is created to read:

AB651,40,12 49.225 Ordering genetic tests. (1) In this section, "genetic test" has the meaning given in s. 767.001 (1m).

AB651,40,20 (2) (a) A county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) may require, by subpoena in substantially the form authorized under s. 885.02 or by other means, a child, the child's mother and a male alleged, or alleging himself, to be the child's father to submit to genetic tests if there is probable cause to believe that the male had sexual intercourse with the child's mother during a possible time of the child's conception. Probable cause of sexual intercourse during a possible time of conception may be established by a sufficient affidavit of the child's mother or the male alleged, or alleging himself, to be the child's father.

AB651,40,24 (b) If there is only one male alleged, or alleging himself, to be the father and one or more persons required to submit to genetic tests under par. (a) fail to appear for the scheduled tests, the county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) may bring an action under s. 767.45 for determining the paternity of the child.

AB651,41,2 (3) The fees and costs for genetic tests performed on any person required to submit to the tests under sub.(2) (a) shall be paid for by the county except as follows:

AB651,41,6 (a) The county may seek reimbursement from either the mother or male alleged, or alleging himself, to be the father, or from both, if the test results show that the male is not excluded as the father and that the statistical probability of the male's parentage is 99.0% or higher.

AB651,41,11 (b) If 2 or more identical series of genetic tests are performed upon the same person, the county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) shall require the person requesting the 2nd or subsequent series of tests to pay for the tests in advance. If the person requesting the 2nd or subsequent series of tests is indigent, the county shall pay for the tests and may seek reimbursement from the person.

AB651, s. 61 Section 61. 49.25 (3) (a) 8. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB651,41,15 49.25 (3) (a) 8. A man who has been adjudicated or who has acknowledged himself to be the father of a child of a woman subject to the program under this section under subd. 1., 2. or 3., if the man is living with the woman.

AB651, s. 62 Section 62. 49.45 (2) (a) 11. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB651,41,19 49.45 (2) (a) 11. Establish criteria for the certification of eligible providers of services under Title XIX of the social security act and, except as provided in s. 49.48, certify such eligible providers.

AB651, s. 63 Section 63. 49.45 (2) (a) 12. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB651,42,2 49.45 (2) (a) 12. Decertify or suspend under this subdivision a provider from the medical assistance program, if after giving reasonable notice and opportunity for hearing, the department finds that the provider has violated federal or state law or administrative rule and such violations are by law, regulation or rule grounds for decertification or suspension. No payment may be made under the medical assistance program with respect to any service or item furnished by the provider subsequent to decertification or during the period of suspension.

AB651, s. 64 Section 64. 49.48 of the statutes is created to read:

AB651,42,8 49.48 Denial, nonrenewal and suspension of certification of service providers based on certain delinquency in payment. (1) The department shall require each applicant to provide the department with the applicant's social security number, if the applicant is an individual, as a condition of issuing or renewing a certification under s. 49.45 (2) (a) 11. as an eligible provider of services.

AB651,42,12 (2) The department of health and family services may not disclose any information received under sub. (1) to any person except to the department of workforce development for the purpose of making certifications required under s. 49.857.

AB651,42,23 (3) The department of health and family services shall deny an application for the issuance or renewal of a certification specified in sub. (1), shall suspend a certification specified in sub. (1) or may, under a memorandum of understanding under s. 49.857 (2), restrict a certification specified in sub. (1) if the department of workforce development certifies under s. 49.857 that the applicant for or holder of the certificate is delinquent in the payment of court-ordered payments of child or family support, maintenance, birth expenses, medical expenses or other expenses related to the support of a child or former spouse or fails to comply, after appropriate notice, with a subpoena or warrant issued by the department of workforce development or a county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) and related to paternity or child support proceedings.

AB651, s. 65 Section 65. 49.852 of the statutes is created to read:

AB651,43,9 49.852 Delinquent support payments; pension plans. (1) The department of workforce development may direct the department of employe trust funds, the retirement system of any 1st class city, any retirement system established under chapter 201, laws of 1937, or the administrator of any other pension plan to withhold the amount certified under s. 49.855 (1) from any lump sum payment from a pension plan that may be paid a delinquent support obligor, except that the department of workforce development may not direct that an amount be withheld under this subsection unless it has met the notice requirements under sub. (2) and unless its certification has either not been appealed or is no longer under appeal.

AB651,43,12 (2) The department of workforce development shall send a notice to the last-known address of the person from whom the department intends to recover the amount certified under s. 49.855 (1). The notice shall do all of the following:

AB651,43,17 (a) Inform the person that the department of employe trust funds, the retirement system of any 1st class city, any retirement system established under chapter 201, laws of 1937, or the administrator of any other pension plan, whichever is appropriate, shall withhold the amount certified under s. 49.855 (1) from any lump sum payment from a pension plan that may be paid the person.

AB651,43,20 (b) Inform the person that he or she may, within 20 days after the date of the notice, by motion, request a court hearing on the issue of whether the person owes the amount certified under s. 49.855 (1).

AB651,43,23 (c) Request that the person inform the department of workforce development or the appropriate county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) if a bankruptcy stay is in effect with respect to the person.

AB651,44,14 (3) If a person has requested a hearing pursuant to sub. (2) (b), the hearing shall be conducted before the circuit court that rendered the initial order to pay support. Within 10 days after receiving a request for a hearing, the court shall set the matter for hearing. The family court commissioner may conduct the hearing. If the court determines that the person owes the amount certified under s. 49.855 (1), the department of workforce development may direct the department of employe trust funds, the retirement system of any 1st class city, any retirement system established under chapter 201, laws of 1937, or the administrator of any other pension plan, whichever is appropriate, to withhold the amount from any lump sum payment from a pension plan that may be paid the person. If the court determines that the person does not owe the amount certified under s. 49.855 (1), the department of workforce development may not direct the department of employe trust funds, the retirement system of any 1st class city, any retirement system established under chapter 201, laws of 1937, or the administrator of any other pension plan, whichever is appropriate, to withhold the amount from any lump sum payment from a pension plan that may be paid the person.

AB651,44,20 (4) (a) If the department of workforce development directs the department of employe trust funds, the retirement system of any 1st class city, any retirement system established under chapter 201, laws of 1937, or the administrator of any other pension plan to withhold the amount certified under s. 49.855 (1), this directive shall shall constitute a lien, equal to the amount certified, on any lump sum payment from a pension plan that may be paid the person.

AB651,45,10 (b) If the department of workforce development directs the department of employe trust funds, the retirement system of any 1st class city, any retirement system established under chapter 201, laws of 1937, or the administrator of any other pension plan to withhold the amount certified under s. 49.855 (1), the department of employe trust funds, the retirement system of any 1st class city, any retirement system established under chapter 201, laws of 1937, or the administrator of any other pension plan shall deduct from any lump sum payment that may be paid the person the amount that is certified, less any amount specified under par. (d). If the amount certified under s. 49.855 (1), less any amount specified under par. (d), exceeds the lump sum payment, the department of employe trust funds, the retirement system of any 1st class city, any retirement system established under chapter 201, laws of 1937, or the administrator of any other pension plan shall deduct the entire lump sum payment, less any withholdings otherwise required by law. The amount deducted under this paragraph shall be remitted to the department of workforce development.

AB651,45,15 (c) A directive to the department of employe trust funds, the retirement system of any 1st class city, any retirement system established under chapter 201, laws of 1937, or the administrator of any other pension plan to withhold the amount certified under s. 49.855 (1) under this section does not prohibit the department of workforce development from attempting to recover the amount through other legal means.

AB651,45,20 (d) The department of workforce development shall promptly notify the department of employe trust funds, the retirement system of any 1st class city, any retirement system established under chapter 201, laws of 1937, or the administrator of any other pension plan upon recovery of any amount previously certified under s. 49.855 (1).

AB651, s. 66 Section 66. 49.853 of the statutes is created to read:

AB651,45,23 49.853 Financial record matching program. (1) Definitions. In this section:

AB651,46,3 (a) "Account" means a demand deposit account, checking or negotiable withdrawal order account, savings account, time deposit account or money market mutual fund account.

AB651,46,5 (am) "County child support agency" means the county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5).

AB651,46,6 (b) "Department" means the department of workforce development.

AB651,46,7 (c) "Financial institution" means any of the following:

AB651,46,8 1. A depository institution, as defined in 12 USC 1813 (c).

AB651,46,10 2. An institution-affiliated party, as defined in 12 USC 1813 (u), of a depository institution under subd. 1.

AB651,46,11 3. A federal credit union or state credit union, as defined in 12 USC 1752.

AB651,46,13 4. An institution-affiliated party, as defined in 12 USC 1786 (r), of a credit union under subd. 3.

AB651,46,15 5. A benefit association, insurance company, safe deposit company, money market mutual fund or similar entity authorized to do business in this state.

AB651,46,16 (d) "Obligor" has the meaning given in s. 49.854 (1) (d).

AB651,46,17 (e) "Support" has the meaning given in s. 49.854 (1) (f).

AB651,47,2 (2) Financial record matching program and agreements. The department shall operate a financial record matching program under this section. The department shall promulgate rules specifying procedures under which the department shall enter into agreements with financial institutions doing business in this state to operate the financial record matching program under this section. The agreement shall require the financial institution to participate in the financial record matching program under this section by electing either the financial institution matching option under sub. (3) or the state matching option under sub. (4).

AB651,47,11 (3) Financial institution matching option. (a) If a financial institution with which the department has an agreement under sub. (2) elects to use the financial institution matching option under this subsection, the department shall provide to a financial institution with information regarding delinquent obligors. The information shall be provided at least once each calendar quarter and shall include the obligor's name and social security number. The information shall be provided to the financial institution in the manner specified by rule or by agreement. To the extent feasible, the information required under this paragraph shall be provided to the financial institution by an automated data exchange.

AB651,47,24 (b) Each financial institution receiving information under par. (a) shall take actions necessary to determine whether any obligor has an interest in an account maintained at the financial institution. If the financial institution determines that an obligor has an interest in an account at the financial institution, the financial institution shall provide the department with a notice containing the obligor's name, address of record, social security number or other taxpayer identification number, and account information. The information regarding the obligor's account shall include the account number, the account type, the nature of the obligor's interest in the account, and the balance of the account at the time that the record match is made. The notice under this paragraph shall be provided in the manner, and shall contain the information, specified by rule or agreement. To the extent feasible, the notice required under this paragraph shall be provided to the department by an automated data exchange.

AB651,48,6 (c) The financial institution participating in the financial institution matching option under this subsection may use the information provided by the the department under par. (a) only for the purpose of matching records under par. (b). The financial institution may not disclose or retain information provided under par. (a) concerning obligors who do not have an interest in an account maintained at the financial institution.

AB651,48,18 (4) State matching option. (a) If a financial institution with which the department has an agreement under sub. (2) elects to use the state matching option under this subsection, the financial institution shall periodically provide the department with information concerning all accounts maintained at the financial institution. For each account maintained at the financial institution, the financial institution shall notify the department of the account number, the account type, the balance of the account, and the name, address and social security number or other tax identification number of each person having an interest in the account, together with a description of each person's interest. The information required under this paragraph shall be provided in the manner, and shall contain the information, specified by rule or agreement. To the extent feasible, the notice required under this paragraph shall be provided to the department by an automated data exchange.

AB651,48,21 (b) The department shall take actions necessary to determine whether any obligor has an interest in an account maintained at a financial institution providing information under par. (a).

AB651,48,25 (c) The department may use the information provided by a financial institution under par. (a) only for the purpose of matching records under par. (b). The department may not disclose or retain information received under par. (a) concerning account holders who are not delinquent obligors.

AB651,49,5 (5) Delegation. The department may delegate any powers and duties given to the department under this section to county child support agencies. The department may require financial institutions to provide county child support agencies with any notices that are required under this section to be provided to the department.

AB651, s. 67 Section 67. 49.854 of the statutes is created to read:

AB651,49,8 49.854 Liens against property for delinquent support payments. (1) Definitions. In this section:

AB651,49,9 (a) "Department" means the department of workforce development.

AB651,49,11 (b) "County child support agency" means the county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5).

AB651,49,12 (c) "Levy" means all powers of distraint and seizure.

AB651,49,13 (d) "Obligor" means a person who is obligated to pay court-ordered support.

AB651,49,16 (e) "Property" includes real and personal property, tangible and intangible property and rights to property, but is limited to property and rights of the obligor to property existing at the time of levy.

AB651,49,17 (f) "Support" means any of the following:

AB651,49,18 1. Child or family support.

AB651,49,19 2. Maintenance.

AB651,49,20 3. Medical expenses of a child.

AB651,49,21 4. Birth expenses.

AB651,49,22 5. Any accrued interest on delinquent amounts under subds. 1. to 4.

AB651,50,2 (2) Creation of lien; satisfaction. (a) Creation. If a person obligated to pay support fails to pay any court-ordered amount of support, that amount becomes a lien in favor of the department upon all property of the person when the lien is entered in the statewide support lien docket under par. (b).

AB651,50,7 (b) Statewide support lien docket. The department shall maintain a statewide support lien docket. For each county in the state, the department shall provide a copy of the statewide support lien docket to the register of deeds or the county child support agency. Each entry in the statewide support lien docket shall contain the name and the social security number of the obligor.

AB651,50,10 (c) Updating the statewide support lien docket. The department shall update the statewide support lien docket in response to orders issued by a court or family court commissioner.

AB651,50,20 (d) Amount of lien; satisfaction. The amount of any support obligation that is a lien under this subsection may be determined by requesting that information from the county child support agency or the register of deeds, as specified by the department. Payment of the full amount that is delinquent at the time of payment to that county child support agency extinguishes that lien. Upon request, the county child support agency shall furnish to the payer of the delinquent amount a satisfaction of lien showing that the amount of support owed has been paid in full and that the person no longer owes the delinquent amount. The satisfaction of lien may be recorded in the office of the register of deeds for any county in which real or personal property of the person who owed the support is located.

AB651,51,6 (3) Notification and appeal of automatic lien. (a) Notice and hearing. When a delinquent support obligation is included in the statewide support lien docket, the department shall provide notice to the obligor that a lien exists with respect to the delinquent support obligation. The notice shall inform the obligor that the lien is in effect and that the obligor may, within a 20-day period, by motion, request a court hearing on the issue of whether support is owed by the obligor. If the obligor makes a timely request for a hearing under this subsection, the court or family court commissioner shall schedule a hearing within 10 business days after the date of the request. If, at the hearing, the obligor establishes that the lien is not proper because of a mistake of fact, the court or family court commissioner shall order the department to remove the lien from the statewide support lien docket.

AB651,51,13 (b) Appeal. If a family court commissioner conducts the hearing under par. (a), the department or the obligor may, within 15 business days after the date of the decision by the family court commissioner, request review of the decision by the court having jurisdiction over the action. The court conducting the review may order that the lien be withdrawn from the statewide support lien dockets. If no appeal is sought or the court does not order the withdrawal of the lien, the department may take appropriate actions to enforce the lien.

AB651,51,21 (4) Powers of levy and distraint; generally. If any obligor neglects or refuses to pay the support owed by the obligor after the department has made demand for payment, the department may collect that support and the levy fees and costs under sub. (11) by levy upon any property belonging to the obligor as provided in subs. (5) to (7). Whenever the value of any property that has been levied upon under this subsection is not sufficient to satisfy the claim of the department, the department may levy upon any additional property of the obligor until the support owed and levy costs are fully paid.

AB651,51,22 (5) Levying against financial accounts. (a) Definitions. In this subsection:

AB651,51,23 1. "Account" has the meaning given in s. 49.853 (1) (a).

AB651,51,24 2. "Financial institution" has the meaning given in s. 49.853 (1) (c).

AB651,52,10 (b) Notice to the financial institution. To enforce a lien under this section by levying against an account at a financial institution, the department shall send a notice of levy to the financial institution instructing the financial institution to prohibit the closing of or withdrawals from one or more accounts that the obligor owns in whole or in part, up to a total amount that is sufficient to pay the support owed, financial institution fees under par. (e) and estimated levy fees and costs under sub. (11), until further notice from the department or a court. If the financial institution has not received instructions from the department or a court to release the funds within 21 days of the date of the notice of levy, the financial institution shall remit the amount specified in the notice to the department.

AB651,52,17 (d) Notice to the obligor. No later than the next day after the department sends notice of levy to the financial institution under par. (b), the department shall send a copy of the notice of levy to the obligor. The department shall also send a copy of the notice of levy to any other person in whose name the account is held. The notices required under this paragraph shall be in the form determined by the department, however the notice sent to the obligor shall include language stating all of the following:

AB651,52,18 1. That the obligor has been certified as delinquent in paying support.

AB651,52,19 2. The amount of the support owed.

AB651,52,21 3. The financial institution to which the department sent the notice under par. (b).

AB651,52,24 4. That one or more accounts owned in whole or in part by the obligor at the financial institution have been frozen, up to a total amount that is sufficient pay the support owed, the department's levy costs and financial institution fees.

AB651,53,3 5. That, unless the financial institution has received instructions from the department or a court to release the funds within 21 days of the date of the notice of levy, the financial institution will remit the funds to the department.

AB651,53,5 6. That, the obligor may request a hearing within 20 days after the date of the notice.

AB651,53,7 7. The address to which the request for hearing must be mailed or delivered in order to schedule a hearing.

AB651,53,14 (e) Financial institution fees. In addition to the levy fee authorized under sub. (11) (a), a financial institution may collect any early withdrawal penalty incurred under the terms of an account as a result of the levy. Financial institution fees authorized under this paragraph may be charged to the account immediately prior to the remittance of the amount to the department under par. (a) and may be charged even if the amounts in the obligor's accounts are insufficient to pay the total amount of support owed and the department's levy costs under sub. (11) (b).

AB651,53,23 (f) Hearings. A hearing requested under par. (d) 6. shall be conducted before the circuit court rendering the order to pay support. Within 10 business days after receiving a request for hearing under par. (d) 6., the court shall set the matter for hearing. The family court commissioner may conduct the hearing. The sole issue at the hearing shall be whether the account holder owes the amount of support certified. If the court or family court commissioner determines that the account holder does not owe support or owes less than the amount claimed by the department, the department shall return the seized funds or the excess of the seized funds over the amount of the delinquency to the account holder.

AB651,54,6 (6) Levying against other personal property. (a) When notice of seizure required. If the department has enforced a lien under this section by levying against personal property, the department shall immediately notify the obligor that the property has been seized. The department shall provide the notice of seizure under this paragraph to any person known to have a lien on the property and, if the property is titled, to the state agency that titles the property. A state agency receiving a notice under this paragraph may not transfer title to the personal property described in the notice, except on the instructions of a court or the department.

AB651,54,8 (b) Content of notice of seizure. The notice provided under par. (a) shall include all of the following:

AB651,54,9 1. The name of the obligor and the amount of the support owed.